Inuyasha

An unfamiliar man stepped into the room.

At first, Kagome didn't recognize him, but she quickly realized that the demon before her was Inuyasha. He looked very different from her half-demon friend. First of all, he was dressed in a dark blue suit, which was very different from any clothing Kagome had ever seen him wear before. Looking at his face, Kagome noted that his features looked much more refine, like Sesshomaru, and his amber eyes had turned into a deep golden colour. On each cheek was a single red slash mark. His hair was a lot shorter as well. Before, it had fallen to the middle of his back, but now it was cut in much the same fashion as Ilyo.

The major difference between the new Inuyasha and the old one however, was the feeling of his aura. Before, he had always seemed a bit angry and bitter at the world. Now, all she felt coming from him was hatred and a powerful desire to kill. It made her shudder.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, saddened by the thing her friend had become. As Inuyasha looked around the room, his gaze fell on each person in turn. His gaze passed over his brother and Ilyo with no expression. When he saw the second Sesshomaru, he got a confused look in his eyes, but he said nothing. However, when his gaze fell on Kagome, his eyes widened and he looked like he was about to collapse.

"You're dead. I killed you five hundred years ago," he said loudly. Rounding on present day Sesshomaru, he started yelling. "Why did you bring her here? I told you I never wanted to see her again. You swore that you would not contact her." Raising his clawed hand, he back handed his brother off of the couch he was standing in front of. When Sesshomaru didn't get up right away, Kagome went to him with concern. She knelt down beside him and attempted to lift him to his feet. Seeing Kagome with her arms around Sesshomaru once again set Inuyasha off.

Leaping across the room at Kagome and his brother, he was about to land on them when a massive body interposed itself protectively in front of them.

Catching Inuyasha with a massive hand around the throat, Ilyo quickly hurled the enraged demon back across the room and through the wooden door. With a snarl, Inuyasha leapt back into the room, landing directly in front of Ilyo.

Inuyasha brought his clawed fist around, attempting to hit Ilyo in the stomach, but his attempt was foiled when Ilyo simply brought his own arm crashing down, knocking the strike aside. The next time Inuyasha struck, he extended his claws fully, and brought them down, attempting to slash open Ilyo's chest. This time, Ilyo reached out and caught Inuyasha's arm before the attack could connect with his flesh.

With his arm caught, Inuyasha smirked, and tried to power out of Ilyo's grasp. His smirk of confidence quickly changed to an expression of anger when he realized that he couldn't overpower Ilyo. He struggled viciously, until Ilyo, getting annoyed, brought his fist crashing down on Inuyasha's skull, immediately rendering him unconscious.

Dropping the comatose demon to the floor, Ilyo turned to Kagome and Sesshomaru. Bending, he hauled Sesshomaru to his feet, watching as blooded flowed freely from a gash on his cheek.

Past Sesshomaru looked at his future self in disgust. "You're pathetic!" he exploded. "How could a weak attack like that do such damage to a demon like me? You must have allowed yourself to become weak over time."

He just had time to spit out these words before he was pinned to a wall by his throat. "You think I have become weak. Please. It is Inuyasha who has become strong. In the past five hundred years, he has cultivated inner strengths and powers that I have never seen any other demon possess. He has become incredibly powerful. He no longer needs the Tetsusaiga to unleash the wind scar; he can now do that with his own claws." He shook his head, his grip never on his counterpart's neck never weakening. "It is amazing to watch. I fear he has now even surpassed me in power. I've never tested that theory though. Frankly, I don't want to know, if the cost would be my life." All throughout his tirade, he had remained with his hand pinning past Sesshomaru to the wall. Once he fell silent, however, he let past Sesshomaru go.

Kagome watched this all in silence, wondering what would have happened if Ilyo had not saved them.

Her musings were interrupted a second later by present day Sesshomaru talking to Ilyo. "That was spectacular. I've never seen someone with as much power as Inuyasha beaten down like a child before. I must admit that when you told me of your power, I was highly doubtful, but seeing that, I am impressed." Ilyo merely nodded in acknowledgment of the compliment. Then, present day Sesshomaru sat down again. "Now, earlier you said something about a god coming to collect the shards from Kagome. Now, I must ask, if you are so powerful, can't you protect her?"

Kagome had thought about that to. However, Ilyo had the answer. "Even though I am powerful, we are talking about a god here. He can do things we could only dream about. I can keep her safe for a while, but eventually, he will get her. I alone can't hold him off forever."

Sesshomaru nodded in understanding. "Well, it's quite a predicament you are in. What can I do to help?"

Although Kagome heard the words come out of Sesshomaru's mouth, she still couldn't believe that he was offering to help her. She was so accustomed to the cold, unfeeling Sesshomaru.

Ilyo pondered the question for a minute before answering. "I was hoping that you would allow us to stay here. It is my hope that the presence of so many powerful demons will overshadow the power emitted by the Shikon Jewel shards. Theoretically, this would make it considerably harder for Kuttsoh-turas to track Kagome down."

Present day Sesshomaru thought about this for a minute, before replying. "Your idea is a good one, my brother. You all can stay here, if you want. I will send a man to Kagome's house to tell her mother where she is. The man can also bring Inuyasha, your Inuyasha, back here with him."

Ilyo nodded and turned to Kagome with a smile on his face. "So, what do you think? Living in a castle is pretty cool, right?"

Kagome smiled back and nodded. Then her thoughts turned to the stationary body lying sprawled on the floor. "What's going to keep him from killing us while we're sleeping?" she inquired of Sesshomaru.

He grinned openly at her fears. "Don't worry. I can make it so that he can't set foot inside of this castle. Just don't go wandering around outside unless one of us is with you." Kagome indicated her understanding as present day Sesshomaru whistled, summoning two servants, who picked up Inuyasha's unconscious form and left the room.

Sesshomaru motioned for his three guests to follow him. He led them up the stairs, past the third floor, all the way up to the fourth floor. They followed him through a wide doorway, into yet another hallway. This one had closed doors all the way along its length.

Pointing to the first door on the right, he said, "Kagome, this will be your room. You can examine it if you wish." Kagome nodded happily and entered the room, closing the door behind her.

Sesshomaru started off again with Ilyo and the past Sesshomaru trailing along behind him. They got to the end of the hallway and then turned right, which led to another hallway. The new hall was identical to the one they had just left. Walking to the end, he indicated the last door on the left, and said, "Ilyomaru, this will be your room. Please, feel free to inspect it." Ilyo nodded and entered the room, leaving both Sesshomaru's standing in the hall.

Past Sesshomaru looked at his future self before speaking."What exactly are you attempting to do?"

"What do you mean by that?" was the innocent reply.

Past Sesshomaru wasn't buying it. "I know my way through every hallway and room in this castle, and I know that the two rooms you just put them in are connecting rooms. You shouldn't encourage this type of thing."

Present day Sesshomaru looked slightly put out after being lectured by himself, but he quickly recovered his composure. "Come on. You know as well as I do that a weakness for human women runs in the blood of every member of this family and it is as plain as day that Kagome already cares for Ilyo. Why not let the two of them be happy?" The reply startled him.

"Will they be happy? She will age and die as he remains young. That kind of happiness is short-lived and vaguely satisfying at best. All that you are really doing is setting them up for a fall."

Present day Sesshomaru realized the wisdom in his counterpart's words. He didn't fully agree with him though.

"Regardless of what you say, it is my belief that these things will work out in the end. It may sound corny, but it's the how I feel." After saying his piece, present day Sesshomaru turned and made his way back down the hall, leaving past Sesshomaru standing outside of Ilyo's door. Before he left, he thought about the words he had just heard.

"I hope that you will be happy, Ilyomaru, but it is my belief that happiness is denied to those of us who are destined for great things." He uttered these words quietly before turning and walking off.

Little did either Sesshomaru know, but Ilyo had heard every word they had said. Sitting on his bed, he gazed at the small door that he assumed led to Kagome's room. Contemplating his future, he thought back to the days before he had been confined to his tomb.

There had been many women in his past. He was, after all, the handsome son of one of the most powerful lords of the era. But he had not loved any of them. They had been a way for him to satisfy himself, nothing more. After awakening from his four hundred year sleep, he had been consumed with desire for revenge; all other wants and needs had been pushed aside. Now, looking back, he wondered if he was even capable of love. True, he had cared for his parents, but they were never all that close. Now he wondered if the feelings he had developed in the short time of knowing Kagome were real, or if they were just personification of his natural inclination to help people.

He was still pondering his fate when he heard a small scream. He was instantly roused from his daydreams when he recognized Kagome's voice. Leaping to his feet, he was through the small door so fast that it was left hanging clumsily on a single hinge. Upon entering her room, he immediately noticed the small staircase located in the corner. He deduced from the smell of fresh air that the stairs led up to the roof.

Bounding up the stairs, Ilyo recognized Inuyasha's scent; the full demon Inuyasha. Once on the roof he immediately saw Kagome cowering behind a large flower pot. Inuyasha was standing in front of it, smirking confidently. Spotting Ilyo, he smile grew ever broader.

"What are you going to do, tough guy? You're pretty far away. I doubt you can get to us before I kill her." Ilyo's felt his anger growing, and quickly realized he was about to lose control. His eyes quickly turned blood red and he lunged at Inuyasha.

Suddenly, Inuyasha was standing beside Kagome. Raising his claws, he brought them crashing down, right towards her neck.